More than a slapped wrist?

Britain expels an Israeli diplomat as a row over the killing of a Hamas official rumbles on.

"GIVEN that this was a very sophisticated operation in which high-quality forgeries were made, the Government judges it highly likely that the forgeries were made by a state intelligence service.” So said David Miliband, Britain’s foreign secretary, on Tuesday March 23rd, explaining to Parliament why he had decided to eject an Israeli diplomat—thought to be a member of Mossad, the Israeli external intelligence service—from the country.



The row stems from the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a senior member of Hamas killed in a Dubai hotel in January. The killing involved 27 undercover agents travelling on forged passports. Twelve of the team used British documents; others used fake Irish, Australian and French papers. The papers may have been forged, but the identities were real: many belonged to Israeli citizens with dual nationality. In press interviews, all of the genuine passport-holders have denied any knowledge of, or involvement in, the Dubai killing. But their identities were certainly made use of. British policeman have travelled to interview some of them. Their statements may have provided the government with at least some of the “compelling reasons” which Mr Miliband said led him to believe that Israel was responsible for the misuse of British passports.


Britain’s is the first Western government to do more than simply express its anger with Israel. But it might not be the last. Israeli observers fear that Ireland and Australia, emboldened by the British lead, might also take punitive action of some sort.

Britain’s relations with Israel have become a touch chillier of late. Israel feels resentful towards Britain over its failure to legislate against the possibility that visiting Israeli officials could be arrested on war-crimes charges. Israeli officials say undertakings given by Gordon Brown, the prime minister, that such laws would be hurried through have been shelved, at least until after the election, widely expected on May 6th. One source called the British government’s action “measured, calculated and not entirely unexpected,” and said that the foreign secretary had felt personally affronted at Israel’s alleged misuse of British passports.  



But relations are unlikely to be permanently or severely dented. With his spleen safely vented, Mr Miliband waxed conciliatory: “Britain has worked and will continue to work closely with Israel on a range of issues,” he said. Israel provides Britain with much needed intelligence on areas such as Iran which it will be reluctant to forfeit. Besides, diplomatic expulsions are an old game with rules well understood by both sides. Israel may throw out a British diplomat but the row is unlikely to go much further. And the ejected Mossad man—or his replacement—may well be back at his post within a few months.
( source: From The Economist online)